Will nymphs eat ants?

[Denise]

 Hello new to the mantis world !  My first time here I have nymphs that just hatched a few days ago started off with small aphids no such luck then switch to small flies I found in my backyard which was a success ! it's raining for the next three days so I'm homebound and can't collect flies  and was wondering if small ants is a good option ?  Any help or suggestions would be great ! my local pet store does not have fruit flies

 

[crabbypatty]

I would not recommend ants. Try calling reptile stores near you and see if they carry fruit flies. 

 

[Denise]

I will about the FF....so ants got in the cage to clean up the dead bugs on the bottom and the nymphs are not even trying to eat the ants rather they seemed scared of them? I think because they know ants can bite? 

 

[guapoalto049]

Ants have much too hard of an exoskeleton for nymphs to eat them. Older nymphs and adults can eat ants for the most part, but the size difference needs to be big.

 

[Digger]

Ants. Bad. 

They're aggressive, have dangerous mandibles and many species have stingers and or formic acid defenses.  And, as guapoalto049 mentions: they offer very little nutrition. 

 

[Kermit]

Ants can and will turn on PM's.

If they are showing up you need to get rid of them before they attack the nymphs.

Sweep the grass with a net or bucket... Tons of critters that are just right in size for nymphs

Crabby patty is right call reptile stores too

Search this forum on ants and you will read the problems

Good luck.

 

[proserpina]

Like others have mentioned, ants are aggressive and will turn on your mantises. If you have absolutely no flies, try giving them some honey or banana for a few days until you're able to get some more food for them. Honey and bananas won't sustain them forever and I only use them for emergencies.

Bugsincyberspace and Mantisplace all have awesome fruit fly cultures that you can order so you aren't just relying on wild-caught ones.

 

[mantisfan101]

Ants killed my first mantis. They bit its forelegs, practically destroyed her jaws, and stung it. I learned my mistake and have never used them as feeders again.